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Downtown Nanaimo excited for first Commercial Street Night Market

Commercial St. is expected to be packed Thursday night for the first of 11 night markets.DNBIA

NANAIMO — The weekend is coming early for downtown Nanaimo.

On Thursday, June 21 the first ever Commercial Street Night Market gets underway and is expected to pack the streets with roughly 70 vendors, food trucks, entertainment and enthusiastic crowds.

Kim Smythe, president of the Great Nanaimo Chamber of Commerce who are hosting the event, said he's thrilled to see the market come together after a year of planning.

“I've had a sense for years that something like this should be happening downtown,” he told NanaimoNewsNOW. “I think there's been a lot of pent-up demand for this kind of exciting attraction downtown. I think downtown has been waiting for it as well.”

The market will stretch up Commercial St. from Terminal Ave. to Church and Chapel Streets from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Road closures at Church, Chapel, Skinner and Wharf St. as well as Museum Way will be in effect.

Smythe said a good bet for parking is in the Bastion Street parkade, which is free at that time.